Dreamy Bistro-Style Kitchens

I have no plans for a dramatic kitchen makeover, but House & Home‘s March 2013 issue makes me wish I did. Considering how much time I spend in there, it certainly deserves some attention. Here are a few kitchen photos sitting in my “One Day” inspiration folder. Perhaps it’s finally time to do something with them.

Over at Sköna Hem, I came across this small kitchen with the cutest little gas stove. Can a range be cute? Yes, I think so. This small space appliance comes from Ilve, an Italian company. The dramatic veins of the Carrera marble provide quite the backdrop for hanging pots and utensils. I prefer to keep my countertops and backsplash bare, but I do like how the metal rods are mounted directly on the marble.

This kitchen could easily read as stuffy and formal, but the mix of new and old styles and bold colour accents keep the look current. The on-trend encaustic tiles don’t hurt, either. The worn teal Tolix Marais A chairs create the perfect café-at-home vibe.

Here’s another contemporary kitchen that inspires me. I love the use of wall-mounted swing-arm lamps in the kitchen, but do wish these were placed lower on the wall or had art hung beneath. Affordable white subway tile with easy-to-maintain dark grout covers the wall. And, something we continue to see: Dark lower cabinets paired with light uppers. Swoon.